Gas-engine.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907:

\IHlllllllllI GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAH.2,1906.

R. B. BENJAMIN.

No. 846,897. PATENTED MARJIZ, 1907. R. B. BENJAMIN. GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAR. 2, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 44 4% 45 o o o UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GAS-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed January 2, 1906. Serial No. 294,277-

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJAMIN,

' a citizen of the'United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of-Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Im-. provements in Gas-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in governing means for gas-engines, my object being to provide means whereb the speed of the gas-engine may be control ed in proportion to the load on the engine or according to the speed required of the engine to maintain a certain load on an electric circuit when the engine is driving a generator.

My device is constructed and arranged to regulate the charge admitted to the gasoleneengine by electromagnetic means, and by the construction and arrangement of my device I am enabled to closely regulate the speed of the engine.

I have illustrated my. invention in the ac companying drawings, in which- Figure 1- is a sectional view of my device applied to the gas-inlet of an explosive-engine. Fig. 2 is a modification thereof. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of my device in connection with a gas-engine and an electrical gen-' eratorQ Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing more definitely the manner in which the the .up er windings of my governing device areconnected in circuit, and Fig. 5 shows a modification of'the manner in which the winding of my device may be connected. I In the preferred embodiment of my invention, upon the head or intake'end 1 of a cylinder of a gas-engineis mounted a gas-inletvalve body 2, having a gas-inlet valve 3 opening inward for admitting supply of explosive fluid through the inlet-chamber 4, the ort 5 of which is connected with any suitab e carbureter. The stem 6 of the inlet-valve extends through the outer wall of the inlet chamber 4 and is connected by a bellcrank lever 7, pivoted at 8, with an auxiliary piston 9 of an auxiliary cylinder 10, the top of which is provided with a small inlet or vent 11, controlled by a valve 12. A spring 13 is provided, which tends to hold the piston 9 at limit of its stroke in the cylinder 10. T e iston 9 when at the extreme upper end 0. its stroke is close against the i ner side of the-top cap 14 of the cylinder. I

have illustrated in the drawings the preferred arrangement of the auxiliary cylinder and piston with respect to the axis of the inlet-valve and the lever connection between the auxiliary piston and the inlet-valve of the engine. By this lever connection it will be noted an opening movement of the inletvalve 3 communicates to the auxiliary piston a downward or indrawing movement proportioned to the opening movement of the inlet-valve, as ma be determined by the proportions of the ever connection.

When the piston of the engine makes its outward stroke for drawing in the gas-supply, theinlet-valve 3 'being pulled off its seat by the suction is resisted in such opening movement to the extent that the resulting movement of the auxiliary piston 9 provides a partial vacuum ab'opt it in its cylinder 10. If there. were no air-inlet, as would-be the case if the valve 12 were closed, it will be necessary that the resistance offered by the auxiliary piston 9 to the opening movement of the inlet-valve 3 wouldbe measured by the area of said' auxiliary piston exposed to atmospheric pressure of fifteen pounds to the square inch, because the piston being in contact at its upper surface with the under surface of the capl or upper end of the auxiliary cylinder 10 t e slightest movement of said piston away from said surface would pr duce a total vacuum above it. The valve 12 being open to a slight extent and permitting the entrance of air to a corresponding extent, said vacuum would be prevented to the extent of the air entering, and if the movement of the auxiliary piston is slow the air may enter through a very small opening, pass the valve 12 fast enough to prevent any appreciable vacuum.

For keeping the auxiliary piston 9 lubricated in its cylinder I provide in the cylinder an annular oil-cup formed by the concentric flange 15, and I make the auxiliary piston in the form of an angled cylindrical cup, whose cylindrical wall enters the annular oil-chamber and dipping into the oil at each indrawing stroke carries up enough oil for its lubrication.

The. cup 14 of the auxiliary cylinder has immediately surrounding the vent 11 an annular flange 16, over which may be screwed the downwardly-extending cylindrical portion 17 of'a frame 18 of a suitable solenoid,

comprising a winding 19 and a core 20. The valve 12 is connected with said core by'a stem 21, whereby said valve is raised or lowered by the raising or lowering of the cone of the solenoid. Extending transversely through the stem 21 is a pin 22, which projects through slotted openings 23 in the portion 17, and mounted upon the exterior of the portion 17 is an annular magnet 24, provided with suitable windings 25. The magnet in normal position and when the engine is inoperative rests upon the pin 22. The upper end of the core 20 is connected to the lower end of a coiled spring 26, the upper end of which is connected to a' cross-arm 27 of a support 28, secured at its lower end to the auxiliary cylinder or in any other suitable position. By this means the spring tends to open the valve. The. weight of the annular magnet 24, however, is great enough to overcome the action of this spring and hold the valve closed. The winding of the magnet is such that the tendency of the same is to act in opposition to the spring 26.

The operation of the device is as follows: The solenoid-winding 19 is connected in any suitable electric circuit, and for the purpose of this description it will be assumed that the winding is connected in the circuit of a generator operated by the gas-engine. ing that the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, in which figure the solenoid is deenergized and the tendency of the spring 26 to raise the core 20 of the magnet 18, and thereby open the valve 12, is overcome by the weight of the annular magnet 24, resting upon the pin 22, in order that the engine may be started the annular magnet 24 is raised by hand, permitting the spring 26to raise the core 20 and open the valve 12. This destroys the vacuum formed in the cylinder 10, and the engine may be started in the usual manner with gas-engines, the suction caused in the cylinder of the engine opening the valve 3 sufficiently to admit a full charge of gas to the en ine-cylinder. Under these circumstances t 1e engine will run at full speed, as there is no restraining action upon the valve 3, and the same may therefore open on each stroke of the engine to its fullest extent. The operation of the engine drives the generator, and as soon as the same commences to deliver current the winding 19 of the solenoid 18 will be energized. The magnetism of the winding 25 will maintain the annular magnet 24 in a raised position and will tend to draw the core 20 downwardly against the action of the spring26, and the magnetism of the solenoid 19 partially close the valve 12, thereby increasing the resistance offered to the valve 3 of the engine by .the piston 9 in the cylinder 10, which prevents said valve 3 from opening to its fullest extent, thereby decreasing the charge admitted to the engine and decreasing the speed of the engine until the generator is running at normal. In event the current de- Assum-- livered by the generator raises the core will be drawn farther downward, thereby lowering the speed of the en he and reducing the" ine to speed up until the current delivered It will y the generator is again normal. thus be seen that I have provided an electromagnetic governor which responds to the slightest change and is simpie and durable.

The member 24 is provided with the winding 25, which insures the same bein maintained in a raised position during t e normal operation of the engine. The strength of the magnetic field of the magnet 19 would not be suflicient in itself to maintain the lug 24 in a raised position in event the same was merely formed of metal. Under certain circumstances, however, if the magnet 19 is of suflicient size the windings 25 may be dispensed with and the ring merely formed of iron. In this event the solenoid 19 must be of large size, as otherwise the strength of the same would not be sufficient.

In Figs. 3 and 41 have shown diagrammatically the preferred manner in which the winding of the solenoid is connected in circuit. The solenoid is preferably a doublewound solenoid, one winding 29 thereof being connected in series with the translating devices connected with the generator, the other winding 30 thereof being connected in multiple with said translating devices. This is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. In Fig. 3-one terminal of the generator 31 is connected with the main 32, a branch 33 of said main being connected with one terminal of the series winding and a second branch 34 being connected with one terminal .of the multiple winding. The opposite terminal of the series winding is connected by conductors 35 with the branch 32 of the generator, and the opposite terminal of the multiple winding is connected by conductor 36 with the op osite branch 37 of the generator, the trans ating devices 38 being connected between the branches 32 and 37. The diagrammatic view in Fig. 4 illustrates a little more plainly the connection, as in this view the winding is shown diagrammatic. In Fig. 4 I have also shown a resistance 40, controlled by a switch 41, which may be inserted in shunt with the series winding 29, whereby the strength of said winding may be adjusted.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a single series winding 42 for the solenoid, having a resistance 43, controlled by a movable arm 44 for controlling the strength thereof.

1 have illustrated in the diagrammatic. views the translating devices as being connected in multiple. It will be understood, however, that I do not wish to limit myself to connecting translating devices in this manloo her, as the same may also be connected in sewin ings I am enabled to control the operation of the gas-engine, and thereby regulate I the potential of the circuit in which the translating devices are connected to maintain the otential of the same practically constant.

y-this construction, assuming that there are a number of lamps connected in circuit, as soon as one of the lamps is cut out of the circuit for any reason the strength of the solenoid is increasedsufiicient to close the intakevalve of the auxiliary cylinder to such an ex tent as to reduce thes eed of the gasoleneengine, and thereby re uce the speed of the generator, which in turn prevents the potential from rising. A corres onding cutting in of one or more lamps Wou d correspondingly decrease the strength of the solenoid-winding, permitting the spring to tend to raise the corethereof, opening the valve in the auxiliary piston, and ermitting the engine to .speed up, thereby increasing the speed of the generator and preventing the the vacuum-cylinder it W1 otential of the line from dropping. In t 's form of winding I preferably construct the device so that the multiple winding is of greater strength than the series winding, and the two windings are wound in opposition to each other, the multiple winding bein arran ed to draw the core of the solenoid own. I3y this arrangement I am enabled to more nicely vary the strength of theengine and operate the magnet by smaller variations in the line. Under certain circumstances if such an arrangement of the winding were not provided variationsin the potential of the line, while affecting the magnet, would not afiect the strength of the same sufliciently to permit the spring to actuate to 0 en the valve. Therefore by providing t e oppositelywound series winding the multi le winding is so nicely balanced that the slig test variation in the potential of the line would affect the same and 0 en or close the valve in ac.- cordance with t e'variations of the load.

While I have described the magnet as controlling the generator throu h the medium of 'Il be understood that I do not wish to limit myself to this particular construction, as there are other positions in which the solenoid may be usedas,

for instance,the' same may be operated directly to control, the machine instead of through the medium of the vacuum-solenoid, as herein shown.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a governin device for gas-engines, the combination with an inlet-valve, of an electromagnetically-operated governor for means for preventing said valve from operating until said governor is energized.

2. In a governing device for explosive-engines, the combination with an inlet-valve for the engine, of a resistance devir-e connectc ntrollingthe movement of said valve, and

ed with said valve, and an electromagnetic I governor for controlling the resistance of said device.

3. In a governing device for explosive-engines, the combination with an inlet-valve for the engine, a vacuum-producing device operated by the opening movement of said inlet-valve, and an electromagneticallyoperated governor for controlling the vacuum produced by said device.

4. In a governing device for explosive-engines, the combination with an inlet-valve for the engine, a vacuum-producing device operated by the opening movement of said valve, said vacuum-producing device comprising a chamber having an air inlet or vent, a valve controlling said vent, and an electromagnetically-operated governor connected with said valve.

5. In agoverning device for explosive-engines, the combination with an inlet-valvefor the engine, of a vacuum-producing device operated by the opening movement of said inlet-valve, an electromagnetic governor for controlling the vacuumproduced by said device, and means for preventing the destruction of said vacuum except when said governor is operatively energized.

6. In a governing device for an explosiveengine, the combination with an inlet-valve for the engine, a vacuum-producing device operated by the opening movement of said inlet-valve, said vacuum-producing device comprising a chamber having an air inlet or Vent, a valve controlling said vent, an electromagnetically-operated governor connected withsaid valve, and means for maintaining said vent closed when said governor is inopera'tive.

7. In a governing device for explosive-engines, the combination with an inlet-valve for the engine, of a vacuum-producing device operated by the opening movement of said inlet-valve and comprising a chamber having an air inlet orvent, a valve controlling said vent, and a solenoid having the core thereof connected with said valve. i

8. In a governing device for an explosiveengine, the combination with'an inlet-valve for the engine, of a vacuum-producing device operated by the opening movementv of said valve and comprising a chamber having an air-inlet, a valve controlling said inlet, a solenoid having the core.thereof connected with a valve and tension means for normally holding said valve open.

9. In a governing device, for explosive-engines, the combination with an inlet-valve for the engine, of a vacuum-producing device inlet-valve and com-prising'a chamber having said valve, and electromagnetic means for an air inlet or vent, a valve for controlling said governing the action of said retarding means. vent, and an electromagnetic governor oper- In witness whereof I have hereunto sub- 5 atively connected with said valve, means for scribed my name in the presence of two witis normally maintaining said inlet closed and l nesses. arranged to be maintained open by said gov- I REUBEN B. BENJAMIN. ernor when the same is operatively energized. Witnesses:

10. In a governing devicefor'gas-engines, W. PERRY HAHN,

10 the combination with an inlet-valve for'the M. R. RooHFoRD.

operated by the opening movement of said engine, of means for retarding the action of 

